Air Liquide has announced plans to invest nearly 60 million euros to take over and operate an Air Separation Unit under a long-term contract with Wanhua Chemical Group, a global leader in innovative chemical products, in Yantai, China. As part of this partnership, Air Liquide will also build, own, and operate a new liquid argon production unit at the ASU, constructed by Air Liquide Engineering & Construction. This unit will serve the Industrial Merchant markets in Yantai and the surrounding Shandong province.

The agreement, Air Liquide’s first with Wanhua, will enable the company to supply industrial and medical gases in Yantai while strengthening its presence in Shandong. The ASU is expected to be operational by the end of 2024 and will provide significant quantities of nitrogen and oxygen to Wanhua. Additionally, Air Liquide will supply nitrogen, oxygen, and argon to local industrial merchant markets.

This collaboration marks a strategic expansion for Air Liquide in Shandong, where the company already operates multiple ASUs, a hydrogen production plant, a filling centre, and a manufacturing hub for ASUs and hydrogen units. Yantai, the second-largest industrial city in the province, represents a key growth area for Air Liquide’s industrial and healthcare market ambitions.

Ronnie Chalmers, Air Liquide group vice president for Asia Pacific, highlighted the importance of the partnership, stating, “We are proud to become a strategic partner of Wanhua, a world-class chemical group. This long-term contract not only recognises Air Liquide’s technological expertise and operational excellence but also supports our 2025 ADVANCE strategic plan by expanding into new industrial merchant and healthcare markets.”

Liao Zengtai, chairman of Wanhua Chemical Group, added, “This cooperation with Air Liquide deepens our strategic partnership and lays a strong foundation for future growth and development.”

For more information visit www.airliquide.com

26 September 2024